Beer calendar: Pliny, Bligh's headline major beer releases, plus two new breweries open

Kannah Creek Brewing in Grand Junction has just released a new beer in bottles called Crossed Irons Irish Ale that it will use to help raise money for the Colorado chapter of the Terry Farrell Firefighter Fund, which helps injured or sick firefighters or the families to those were killed in the line of duty. Kannah Creek began helping firefighters in 2008 when a local firefighter, a regular at the brewpub, was diagnosed with leukemia. Crossed Irons (which refers to the tools used by firefighters) is a 5.2 percent ABV red ale with medium malt body and light hop bitterness. It will be available throughout Colorado. Wednesday, February 19

February is Decadent Chocolate Cask Month at the Copper Kettle, and today's beer is Orange Grand Marnier Chocolate Milk Stout, a sweet, roasted stout brewed with fresh orange peel, cocoa, and Grand Marnier liqueur. It goes on a 3 p.m. The Ckrepes food truck will be on hand at 4:30 p.m.

Falling Rock Taphouse will tap a keg of Pliny the Younger today -- the first of three days that the beer bar plans to serve the cult triple IPA from Russian River Brewing. For times and details, go to our PTY in Colorado 2014 page.

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Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs will release its Smokebrush Porter, one of three seasonal community ales, from 5 to 9 p.m. All of the profits from this annual tradition benefit the Smokebrush Foundation, which will pass along the funds to the Uncle Wilber Fountain in downtown Colorado Springs. The party includes live music from Bob Tudor's One Man Band (4:30 to 5 p.m,), a toast by Mike Bristol, and live music from Moonhoney (6 to 9 p.m.). The beer -- a "clever combination of malts smoked on peat and beechwood add an ever-so-slightly smoky character to the finish," -- will also be available in Front Range liquor stores in 22-ounce bottles.

Thursday, February 20

TRVE Brewing will tap a beer at 6 p.m. that it brewed in collaboration with Denver Off the Wagon to celebrate the booze blog's third anniversary. Circle the Wagons, a French saison finished with wine yeast, comes in around 7 percent ABV. "We'll be at the brewery enjoying tulip glasses full of Circle the Wagons for $5," writes DOTW founder PJ Hoberman on the blog. "You can also find Circle the Wagons at Star Bar, Stapleton Tap House, and a few other places to be announced.

Saturday, February 22

Two22 Brew, at 4550 South Reservoir Road, in Centennial, will hold a grand opening today (appropriate date) with beer, food trucks and live music. The name comes from an idea that husband-and-wife owners Paige Schuster and Marcus Christianson have for combining their love of beer with their interest in philantrophy. Specifically, they plan to donate $2.22 from every $10 of profit to charity. They'll have at least four beers on tap on opening day, including a blond, a porter and an IPA.

300 Suns Brewing plans to open today at 335 First Avenue in Longmont. The brewery has four owners, a 3,000-square-foot space with an outdoor deck and a seven-barrel brewing system.

BeerAdvocate co-founders Todd and Candice Alstrom, who recently moved from Boston to Denver, will begin hosting a series of monthly Social Gatherings to meet and greet and hang out with beer fans; the first runs today from 1 to 5 p.m. at Lucky Pie Lodo.

SOLD OUT:Denver Beer Co will host its third annual -- and highly-anticipated -- Beer, Bacon & Coffee Fest today from 9 a.m. to noon. Coda Coffee will provide an assortment of locally-roasted coffees for sampling, while the Denver Bacon Company will bring its specialties. Tickets are $32 and include a breakfast burrito from Chile Billy. In addition to unlimited coffee and bacon, Denver Beer Co will have the following firkins going: Apricot Pale Ale with blueberries and mango; Russian Imperial Stout with chicory; and Rauchbier with maple. There will also be Coffee Stout; Cascara Pale Ale; Cacao Chile with espresso; Mocha Graham Cracker Porter; and Red beer

Sunday, February 23

Dry Dock will release 22-ounce bottles of its highly-acclaimed Bligh's Barleywine today, starting at 11 a.m. Bottles are $20 and they'll have a limited amount on tap as well.

TRVE Brewing will release the final beer in its bottled sour series today, Tiphareth, a sour red ale. "Subtle acidity and a mild brett balance out a hefty malt character in this blood red libation," the brewery says. Bottle sales start at 2 p.m. (1:30 for CVLT members), and there is a limit of four per person.

Avery Brewing will release bottles of its eighteenth small-batch, barrel-aged sour today, Opuntia, beginning at 1 p.m. at its Boulder taproom. This one has "a dose of prickly pears and was patiently matured in first use small batch tequila barrels for nine months," the brewery says. Each twelve-ounce bottle is $12 cash, with a limit of twelve bottles per person. As usual, there will be a lineup of rare and exclusive beers available on draft.

Odell Brewing will have a party to celebrate the re-release of its Tree Shaker Imperial Peach IPA today from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in its Fort Collins taproom. The beer was brewed with 3,000 pounds of pureed Colorado peaches. There will also be food and live music.

Monday, February 24

Every Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. during the month of February (Stout Month), the Mountain Sun, Southern Sun or Vine Street pubs will offer anyone who buys a six-beer sampler a preview of the next day's special stout release and a tour of the brewery. Today's preview beer will be the winner of the Stout Month 2014 Homebrew Contest.

For more events later in February and in March, turn the page.Wednesday, February 26

February is Decadent Chocolate Cask Month at the Copper Kettle, and today's beer is Strawberry Chocolate Blonde, a malt-oriented American craft beer brewed with fresh strawberries and cocoa. It goes on a 3 p.m. The Ckrepes food truck will be on hand at 4:30 p.m.

River North Brewery will introduce the first in a series of seasonal brews, Quad on Oak, today at 1 p.m. in its taproom. Bombers will cost $9 with no limit, and the beer will be on tap all day. As a spring seasonal, River North will continue to brew and pour Quad on Oak until late May. The brewery says it aged its Quad on toasted American oak. River North plans to introduce several new seasonal beers this year, including a Tripel in the summer and a Dubbel in the fall.

New Belgium will throw a party in Denver to celebrate its latest year-round offering, Snapshot Wheat, a tart, unfiltered wheat beer. The party, called #SnapshotDenver, will be co-hosted by Artifact Uprising at Galvanize from 7 to 11 p.m. For $10, guests get two free Snapshot beers, a photo booth, the Comida food truck, a chance to win prizes and live music from Ark Life and the Blue Rider. The event will also feature a gallery of fan-submitted original photography, displayed by Artifact Uprising. To be part of the gallery, share pics of your favorite Colorado scenes on Instagram and tag them with #snapshotdenver.

Tuesday, March 4

The Yak & Yeti will release is annual Fat Tuesday beer, (Yakety Yak) Don't Talk Bock at 4 p.m. today, followed by the Blessing of the Bock by an ordained minister at 5 p.m. Come early to get your glass filled in time for the blessing.

Thursday, March 6

Ernie's Bar & Pizza and Oskar Blues Brewery will team up today on a fundraiser to benefit the brewery's CAN'd Aid Foundation, which was founded to help raise money for victims of last year's floods. Oskar Blues will take over a portion of Ernie's tap lines today from 5 to 8 p.m. and feature some of their best beers; a brewer will be on hand to talk about them as well. Fifty cents from every pint purchased will to CAN'd Aid; Ernie's will also donate 20 percent of the day's sales from lunch and dinner to the foundation.

Saturday, March 8

Hops & Pie needs to empty its cellar, pronto. So the craft beer-centered pizza joint is holding an Everything Must Go party today from noon to close, and its closets are full of amazing stuff. Some of the beers on tap include: Bruery Bois; Prairie Bomb; Boulevard Rye on Rye; Oskar Blues barrel-aged Ten Fidy; Perennial Abraxas; Firestone Walker Parabola; New Belgium Biere de Peach Barrel; Ska Two Tone Montanya; Upslope Cabernet Barrel-Aged IPA; and Jackie O's Dark Appartition.

Although Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery opened last November, the spot will hold an official grand opening today. Details are TBA, but the brewery say it will be releasing three or four new beers at different times throughout the day (including two beers with experimental hops). There will also be food-beer pairings, and raffles of swag, brewery tours/tastings, and "the opportunity to call your shot with a future pilot system beer (you choose the style and get to pick the name)."

Saturday, March 15

Breckenridge Brewery will introduce a new beer, Barleywine Batch #1, today by selling 22-ounce, wax-topped bottles out of its Kalamath Street taproom. The beer debuted in January at the Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival in Vail. Cold conditioned for three months and barrel-aged in fresh American Oak barrels for another six, this beer comes in at 10.1 percent ABV and is the brewery's first barleywine. "It has an aromatic complexity resembling that of molasses and ripened black cherries, and a robust profile that blends a spectrum of flavors including sweet malts, dark fruits, oak, and esters," Breckenridge says. Todd Usry, Breckenridge Brewery's Brewmaster and Director of Brewing Operations, will be at the Batch #1 Bottle Release to mingle with patrons and autograph bottles. American Craft Beer Radio will be broadcasting live as well. The brewery plans to release a limited run of its Barleywine every year. "Each batch, however, will incorporate a new imaginative twist on the recipe. It will be unveiled at Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines year after year, followed by a limited bottle release at the brewery with availability in select markets."

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